Steelers Among Teams That Might Seriously Have An Interest In Bringing In Former NFL Head Coach Chip Kelly

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for a new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season. After dismissing Matt Canada amid another season where the former longtime college coach couldn't elevate Pittsburgh's offense, the team ran with running backs coach Eddie Faulkner as the de facto coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan took over the play-calling duties on game days. 

While the pair and Mason Rudolph helped the team sneak into the playoffs, Head Coach Mike Tomlin thanked them for their service in those capacities, but said in his postseason press conference that the team would be moving in another direction. Johnathan Jones of CBS Sports speculates that teams are interested in bringing in UCLA Head Coach Chip Kelly. 

Jones suggests that multiple NFL organizations are interested in the former NFL head coach, who has had success at the college level in the past. Kelly ascended the coaching ranks after a successful run at Oregon. In 2010, the Ducks compiled a 10-1 regular season record while holding the top spot in the college football rankings for seven straight weeks from October to the end of November. The team made it all the way to the BCS Championship Game and lost to Auburn on a field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter. 

Kelly spent two more seasons at Oregon, coaching Marcus Mariota in his freshman year in 2012. The team won the Fiesta Bowl, beating Kansas State 35-17, with Mariota winning the offensive MVP award with a touchdown pass and one on the ground. After that season, Kelly made the jump to the NFL, becoming the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Kelly made the playoffs twice as the Eagles head coach with 10-6 records in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, Kelly's team led the league in rushing yards and finished in the top 10 in passing yards. Those numbers took a little bit of a dive the following season, but the team managed to maintain a top-five offense in the league. He was fired in 2014 after Week 16 with the team sitting at 6-9 and the rushing offense struggling to reach the heights it had the previous two seasons. 

Kelly was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as their head coach for the 2015 season, but it ended in disaster. The team went 2-14 while putting up the least yards of any team in the league. He was fired at the end of the season. After a year out of football, Kelly returned to the college in 2018 as the head coach at UCLA. He's held that position since and helped the Bruins slowly build up their program. After losing seasons in 2018, 2019, and 2020, the team has rattled off three seasons with a winning record and gone 1-1 in bowl play. 

Jones said that multiple sources have confirmed to CBS Sports that teams have started to do their due diligence on Kelly for an offensive coordinator position. 

Steelers Could Be A Fit For Kelly 

Tomlin detailed what he's looking for in an offensive coordinator at his 2023 offseason conference, and Kelly checks a lot of the boxes. 

He has plenty of experience as an offensive play-caller at both the NFL and college levels and has led a top-ten offense in the NFL twice. Jones implied that Pittsburgh could be one of the places in play on Kelly. 

"Bringing Kelly to an NFL team would give an offense an instant jolt," he said. "It could create instant credibility for either a defensive-minded head coach or a first-timer."  

Kelly had success with Mariota in college who is quite similar in style to Kenny Pickett. He managed to have Nick Foles go 10-4 in two seasons with the Eagles. He largely failed as an NFL head coach, but maybe working as just the offensive coordinator would go better. 

Do you like the idea of bringing in Kelly? Who is your ideal offensive coordinator hire? Comment below!

#SteelerNation